PUBLISHED ONAugust 23, 2026 1:15 PMBYDana LeongRaising the income ceiling for HDB home buyers, giving working parents more childcare leave and providing greater financial support for new parents — these were among the measures announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 23).
Speaking at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central in Ang Mo Kio on Sunday, PM Wong unveiled a series of measures spanning childcare support and housing policies, as well as plans to harness advances in technology, including autonomous vehicles.
Here are five key points he brought up during the rally.
The income ceilings for all Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and Executive Condominiums (EC) will be raised from Aug 24, in a bid to keep public housing affordable and accessible for Singaporeans.
Income ceilings were last adjusted in 2019, and will now be increased from $14,000 to $16,000 for BTO flats.
ECs will see theirs raised from $16,000 to $18,000.
Additionally, the income ceiling for eligible singles aged 35 and above purchasing a subsidised HDB flat or obtaining an HDB housing loan will be raised from $7,000 to $8,000, said PM Wong.
First-timer families with children will also receive additional ballot entries to increase their chances of securing a flat.
Working parents will receive additional childcare leave under a new scheme aimed at supporting Singaporeans concerned about starting families, said PM Wong.
He said: "Parents face a different set of worries. Every day is a balancing act – between work and family, between earning a living and caring for loved ones."
The current Childcare Leave (CCL) and Extended Childcare Leave (ECL) schemes will be merged into a new streamlined CCL scheme for working parents with children aged 12 and below, he said, adding that childcare leave will be awarded according to the number of children a family has.
Going forward, a working couple with three children will receive a total of 24 days of childcare leave, compared with 12 days under the current arrangement.
Under the new arrangement, each working parent will receive eight days of childcare leave for one child aged up to 12, 10 days for two children, and 12 days for three or more children.
To further support families with the costs involved in raising children, the Government will roll out a new SG Child Support Package.
Every Singaporean citizen child will receive up to $62,000 in direct support under the package, bringing the total amount to around $70,000 with existing benefits.
PM Wong said: "We will provide more support – not just at birth but throughout the years, as children grow up."
Each child will receive a $10,000 baby gift in cash, a MediSave grant of $5,000, a $5,000 Child Development Account First Step Grant and up to $5,000 in Government co-matching the child's CDA.
Financial support will also be provided each year, with annual Child Credits of $2,000 till the child turns 16.
Singapore is also planning to address the country's public transport needs with the use of autonomous vehicles (AVs), said PM Wong.
Self-driving shuttle services have been deployed across Punggol last year and have been made available to the public since April this year.
Singapore will also be testing driverless public buses, which are slated to be trialed in Marina Bay and one-north.
According to PM Wong, the Government plans to scale up such AV technologies once they prove to be viable, especially as they can help alleviate the current manpower constraints amid an ageing taxi workforce.
"Even as we scale up AVs, we will do so progressively," PM Wong said, assuring affected drivers that they will be retrained and supported into new roles.
While the Government will continue promoting Singapore's bilingual policy, it also acknowledges that dialects are cultural heritage worth preserving.
PM Wong specifically referenced the Teochew film Dear You, which sparked debates locally due to its limited screenings available in theatres.
"While our free-to-air broadcasts will remain mainly in Mandarin, we can ease restrictions for pay television and movies," he said.
As such, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) will be lifting the cap on the number of screenings of dialect films with Mandarin-dubbed versions.
It also announced the removal of existing restrictions for dialect content on subscription TV services such as allowing only one dialect art-house movie per week or a percentage of dialect songs on a music channel.
He said: "I hope they will give Singaporeans more opportunities to learn about dialects, find out more about their cultural roots and strengthen our local Chinese culture."
[[nid:743329]]
